Submarine towing system

ABSTRACT

The invention is a system for subsurface tow, deployment and recovery of a submersible vehicle or small submarine by another submarine utilizing a telescopic boom (powered or unpowered), a winch, an oceanographic tow line and a coupling device. The system is designed to be stowed in an existing well of a modern submarine.

United States Patent 1191 Wynn, Jr. I

1451 Mar. 27, 1973 SUBMARINE TOWING SYSTEM John F. Wynn, Jia, Landover, Md.

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed: May 20, 1971 Appl. No.: 145,378

Inventor:

Assignee:

us. (21.; ..114/23s B, 114/16 R 1m. (:1. ..B63b 21/56 Field of Search.....1 14/16 R, 235 B, 51; 61/69 R References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,034,471 5/l 962"Aschinger.....;.... ........'.114/23s1a- 3,245,373 4/1966 Sibold "114/235 B 3,550,388 12/1970 Smith et al ..1 14/16 R Primary Examiner-Milton Buchler Assistant Examiner-S. D. Ba'singer Attorney-R. S. Sciascia, Q. E. Hodges and J. W. Peterson [57] ABSTRACT The invention is a system for subsurface tow, deployment and recovery of a submersible vehicle or small submarine by another submarine utilizing a'telescopic boom (powered or unpowered), a winch, an oceanographic tow line and a coupling device. The system is designed to be stowed in an existing well of a modern submarine.

6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures SUBMARINE TOWING SYSTEM The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for Governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the past, various devices have been used to raise objects from the ocean s floor. The devices thus far employed have been cumbersome, expensive and difficult to position over the submerged vessel, capsule or other objects. Often these devices require complicated surface equipment, elaborate tubing from the surface of the water to the device, and employ lifting devices that are not adaptable to may submersible vehicles or small submarines.

The present invention provides means for subsurface tow, deployment and recovery of a submersible vehicle or small submarine by another submarine without requiring major modifications to submarines now existing in the fleet.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention is the combination of a telescopic boom, winch, oceanographic tow line and coupling device with a conventional submarine to provide a system of subsurface tow, deployment and recovery of a submersible vehicle or small submarine.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION The principle object of the invention is to provide a device which will provide for subsurface tow, deployment and recovery of another submersible vehicle.

A further object of the instant invention is to provide a device which can be stowed in an existing well of a modern submarine.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side view of a conventional submarine utilizing a submarine towing system.

FIG. 2 shows the system used in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows an alternate embodiment of the present invention utilizing the torpedo tubes of a conventional submarine. i i

FIG. 4 shows the mechanical equipment used in FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With continued reference to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows conventional submarine which has been converted for subsurface tow, deployment and recovering of a submersible vehicle of the utilization of a telescoping boom 10. FIG. 1 shows the telescoping boom and other apparatus stored in any void area between the pressure hull of the submarine and the skin of the submarine or in any ballost tank region on the under surface of the submarine. The void area is denoted generally by the numeral 16. Located within this area is the telescoping boom 10, and winch 26.

FIG. 2 shows in detail a hydraulic pump 20, connected to the hydraulic winch 26 and telescoping boom 10 for extending or retracting the telescoping boom 10 and for operating the winch 26. The telescoping boom 10 is connected by ball joint 22, and funnel 24, to the hydraulic winch 26. The telescoping boom may be angularly adjusted as permitted by the ball joint 22 by conventional means (not shown). The winch 26 controls cable 13 which extends through the telescoping boom 10. A hook 11, is connected at the end of the cable 13. A sonar type transducer 15 or any similar acoustic homing device, such as shown in US. Pat. No. 3,550,388 to Smith, is located near the end of telescoping boom 10 to aid in positioning the telescoping boom. The hook 11, would typically connect to tow hook 12 of the vehicle 14 to be towed. The tow hook 12 is held in position by a fairlead 18 which controls the location and position of the tow hook 12. The device as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 would have two functions: (1) the telescoping boom could be carefully controlled for a close pick-up utilizing the sonar type transducer to pick-up a submersible vehicle, for example, a disabled submarine; and (2) the device could also be utilized as a drop hook in which case the telescoping boom could be completely withdrawn and the hydraulic winch 26, could be utilized simply to drop a cable 13 and hook I 1 from the submarine for towing purposes.

FIG. 3 shows an alternate embodiment of the present invention utilizingthe stern torpedo tubes of a twin screw submarine. Self-contained telescoping booms powered be either air pressure or hydraulic pressure are fitted to the stern torpedo tubes of the submarine. These self-contained telescoping booms are shown at 32, fitted within torpedo tubes 44 of the towing submarine 48. Located directly beneath the torpedo tubes in void area 42, which is between the pressure hull and the skin of the submarine is winch 40, which is used to pay out or retract towing cable 34, which will be connected to the towed submarine or submersible 30. The detail of the apparatus is shown in FIG. 4. The telescoping booms 32 are connected together at their ends by a slotted end plate 46. The towing cable 34 extends through the slot 37, in the slotted end plate 46 and connects to the towing hook 36. The towing hook 36 is retained in contact with the slotted end plate 46 by tension in the towing cable 34, caused by resistance of the winch 40. In operation, the telescoping booms 32 are extended as the winch 40 simultaneously pays out the towing cable 34, under tension to retain the towing hook 36, until the towing hook 36 contacts a tow hook 38. The connection of the towing hook 36 with the tow hook 38 is accomplished by a television, such as shown in US. Pat. No. 3,034,471 to Aschinger, and a homing device 45 on towed submarine 30, and through the electronic communication systems of the submarines. Once the towing hook 36 is in position it can be locked in position by a remotely controlled lock ring 39 or similar device that can be controlled by the towed sub marine 30. Once the towing hook 36 is locked in position the telescoping boom 32 may be retracted into the torpedo tube. With the telescoping booms 32 fully retracted the towing cable 34, functions as a typical oceanographic tow line. The towing hook 36 may be disconnected by a reversal of the foregoing procedure. It is noted that the towing hook 36 may be positioned by any visual or acoustic device. Furthermore, hook 38 could be replaced by any type of a connector or with a line interconnecting as shown in FIG. 2, the hook toa it is understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of the construction shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to persons skilled in the art. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

l. A submarine towing system for sub-surface tow, deployment and recovery of a submersible vehicle com rising:

a telescoping means having first and second ends, at-

tachable at the first end thereof to a towing vehicle outside its pressure hull;

first coupling means on said submersible vehicle;

second coupling means carried by the second end of said telescoping means to engage with said first coupling means; cable means carried by said telescoping means winch means connected to said cable means to pay out and wind up said cable means and attachable to the towing vehicle outside its pressure hull; and

means to extend and retract said telescoping means while said telescoping means maintains said second means in contact with said second end of said telescoping means during extension of said telescoping means and during engagement of said coupling means 2. A device as in claim 1, wherein said telescoping means further includes a ball joint at the first end of said telescoping means attachable to the towing vehicle outside its pressure hull for angular adjustment of said telescoping means.

3. A device as in claim 2 further including a sensor means located on the second end of said telescoping means to sense the position of said second end.

4. A device as in claim 3, wherein said sensor means is a sonar type device.

5. A device as in claim 1, wherein said towing vehicle has at least two stern torpedo tubes and said telescoping means comprises two telescoping booms, the first end of which are adapted to be confined within the said stern torpedo tubes, said telescoping booms being connected at their second ends by a slotted plate which contacts said second coupling means.

6. A submarine towing system for subsurface tow deployment and recovery of submersible vehicle comprising:

funnel shaped base (24) attached to a submarine outside the pressure hull;

a ball joint (22) fixedly attached to said base;

a rigid extendable telescoping boom (10) articulable on said ball joint;

a hydraulic winch (26) adjacent to base on the side of said base opposite the ball joint;

a cable (13) partially wound around said hydraulic winch which extends through the center hollow section of he telescoping boom; and

a hook (1 1) attached to one end of said cable. 

1. A submarine towing system for sub-surface tow, deployment and recovery of a submersible vehicle comprising: a telescoping means having first and second ends, attachable at the first end thereof to a towing vehicle outside its pressure hull; first coupling means on said submersible vehicle; second coupling means carried by the second end of said telescoping means to engage with said first coupling means; cable means carried by said telescoping means winch means connected to said cable means to pay out and wind up said cablE means and attachable to the towing vehicle outside its pressure hull; and means to extend and retract said telescoping means while said telescoping means maintains said second means in contact with said second end of said telescoping means during extension of said telescoping means and during engagement of said coupling means.
 2. A device as in claim 1, wherein said telescoping means further includes a ball joint at the first end of said telescoping means attachable to the towing vehicle outside its pressure hull for angular adjustment of said telescoping means.
 3. A device as in claim 2 further including a sensor means located on the second end of said telescoping means to sense the position of said second end.
 4. A device as in claim 3, wherein said sensor means is a sonar type device.
 5. A device as in claim 1, wherein said towing vehicle has at least two stern torpedo tubes and said telescoping means comprises two telescoping booms, the first end of which are adapted to be confined within the said stern torpedo tubes, said telescoping booms being connected at their second ends by a slotted plate which contacts said second coupling means.
 6. A submarine towing system for subsurface tow deployment and recovery of submersible vehicle comprising: funnel shaped base (24) attached to a submarine outside the pressure hull; a ball joint (22) fixedly attached to said base; a rigid extendable telescoping boom (10) articulable on said ball joint; a hydraulic winch (26) adjacent to base on the side of said base opposite the ball joint; a cable (13) partially wound around said hydraulic winch which extends through the center hollow section of he telescoping boom; and a hook (11) attached to one end of said cable. 